Turlock, California -- John H. Pitman High School in the city of Turlock, California, is preparing to introduce the Assyrian language, in its Eastern dialect, into its World Languages program beginning in the fall of 2027, marking a new step towards strengthening the presence of mother-tongue languages in American educational institutions.

The initiative is part of the Turlock Unified School District's efforts to expand its language-learning options in response to the city's cultural diversity, which includes a Assyrian-Assyrian community with a longstanding historical and social presence.

The program is expected to allow students to study Assyrian through an academic curriculum covering reading and writing, with the possibility of earning academic credits for the courses. This would open the door to teaching the language beyond the scope of community-based and church-run institutions and programs.

This initiative is not an isolated development in the United States. High schools in the state of Illinois have previously adopted the teaching of Assyrian in its Eastern dialect. In April 2026, a Chicago-based team of members of the Assyrians won the "Languages for All Award" in recognition of its efforts to develop an accredited Assyrian language program for high schools, following an initiative launched in 2015 by a group of parents.

The move in California reflects the growing efforts to bring Assyrian language education beyond community-led initiatives and into formal school curricula, giving younger generations the opportunity to learn their mother tongue and preserve their cultural heritage.